There’s nothing like a Victorian garden bench to add some elegance to your garden. Traditionally benches in Victorian gardens were quite ornate. They were designed to show off the maker’s skill. Often they were made of stone or cast iron. The Victorians liked to place a bench at the end of a garden walk, or where there was a grand view.

Recently Steve came across a pair of wonderfully ornate cast iron bench ends that needed some care and attention. This led to him restoring the first of what has become a series of classic Victorian garden benches and garden seats.

Many Victorian garden benches were made with wooden slats which wear out over time. When restoring a Victorian garden bench, Steve carefully replaces the worn out slats with hardwood for durability. You can choose a native hardwood like oak. Oak has been the construction wood of choice in this country for hundreds of years. Alternatively you might like to select a hardwood like iroko wood. Iroko wood is native to the west coast of Africa. It is also a tough, dense and very durable wood. Steve fixes the wooden slats with new rust resistant bolts. He also gives the iron ends a good clean up and applies some coats of fresh paint. This all helps to bring the bench back to its former glory.

This particular decorative bench has cast iron ends featuring a lion’s head and foliage design. The seat slats are made of English oak. While the iron ends have been painted black. You can select any colour of paint for the iron ends, to work with your garden. The more classic colours tend to be white, black or dark green.

If you would like Steve to restore a Victorian garden bench or hand make a new hardwood garden seat in your own style, please send an enquiry to info@handmade-oak-tables.com or call Steve directly on 07989 392421